Psych Final - People

Ivan Pavlov

Russian physiologist who discovered classical conditioning; showed that learning can occur through association between stimuli

Classical Conditioning

Learning process where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a stimulus that naturally produces a response

Ivan Pavlov (Exp)

Dogs Experiment

Dogs Experiment

Pavlov paired a bell with food until dogs salivated to the bell alone, demonstrating classical conditioning

Mary Ainsworth

Developmental psychologist who studied attachment between infants and caregivers

Mary Ainsworth (Exp)

Strange Situation Experiment

Strange Situation Experiment

Observed infants’ reactions when separated and reunited with caregivers to identify attachment styles

Attachment Styles

Secure, anxious-resistant, anxious-avoidant, and disorganized patterns of attachment

Solomon Asch

Social psychologist known for studying conformity and group pressure

Solomon Asch (Exp)

Asch Conformity Experiment

Asch Conformity Experiment

Participants gave incorrect answers to match a group’s wrong answer, showing the power of conformity

Conformity

Adjusting behavior or opinions to match a group

Albert Bandura

Psychologist known for social learning theory and observational learning

Albert Bandura (Exp)

Bobo Doll Experiment

Bobo Doll Experiment

Children imitated aggressive behavior they observed in adults

Social Learning Theory

People learn behaviors by observing and imitating others

Observational Learning

Learning by watching others

Noam Chomsky

Linguist who challenged behaviorist explanations of language and proposed innate language abilities

Language Acquisition Device (LAD)

Chomsky’s idea that humans are born with a biological ability to learn language

Herman Ebbinghaus

Memory researcher who studied learning and forgetting using nonsense syllables

Herman Ebbinghaus (Concept)

Forgetting Curve

Forgetting Curve

Shows how information is lost over time without review

Learning Curve

Graph showing improvement in performance as practice increases

Erik Erikson

Developmental psychologist known for psychosocial stages of development across the lifespan

Erik Erikson (Theory)

Psychosocial Stages of Development

Psychosocial Stages of Development

Eight stages where people face social and emotional conflicts throughout life

Sigmund Freud

Founder of psychoanalysis who emphasized unconscious motives and childhood experiences

Sigmund Freud (Theory)

Psychoanalytic Theory

Psychoanalytic Theory

Personality is shaped by unconscious conflicts and early childhood experiences

Id

Primitive part of personality driven by pleasure and impulses

Ego

Rational part of personality that balances desires and reality

Superego

Moral part of personality that represents internalized values

Lawrence Kohlberg

Psychologist known for stages of moral development

Lawrence Kohlberg (Theory)

Stages of Moral Development

Stages of Moral Development

Progression from self-interest to principled ethical reasoning

Elizabeth Loftus

Memory researcher known for showing that memories can be altered

Elizabeth Loftus (Exp)

Misinformation Effect Studies

Misinformation Effect

False information after an event can distort memory of that event

Abraham Maslow

Humanistic psychologist known for studying motivation and personal growth

Abraham Maslow (Theory)

Hierarchy of Needs

Hierarchy of Needs

Pyramid of human needs ranging from basic survival to self-actualization

Self-Actualization

Reaching one’s full potential

Jean Piaget

Developmental psychologist who studied cognitive development in children

Jean Piaget (Theory)

Cognitive Development Theory

Cognitive Development Theory

Children progress through stages of thinking and reasoning

Sensorimotor Stage

Birth to age 2; learning through senses and actions

Preoperational Stage

Ages 2–7; symbolic thinking develops

Concrete Operational Stage

Ages 7–11; logical thinking about concrete events

Formal Operational Stage

Age 12+; abstract and hypothetical thinking develops

Object Permanence

Understanding that objects continue to exist even when unseen

Carl Rogers

Humanistic psychologist who emphasized personal growth and self-concept

Carl Rogers (Concept)

Client-Centered Therapy

Client-Centered Therapy

Therapy that uses empathy, acceptance, and active listening

Unconditional Positive Regard

Accepting and valuing a person without judgment

Stanley Milgram

Social psychologist known for studying obedience to authority

Stanley Milgram (Exp)

Obedience Experiment

Obedience Experiment

Participants administered what they believed were painful shocks because an authority figure instructed them to do so

Obedience

Following orders from an authority figure

David Rosenhan

Psychologist who challenged the reliability of psychiatric diagnoses

David Rosenhan (Exp)

Rosenhan Study

Rosenhan Study

Healthy individuals were admitted to psychiatric hospitals after pretending to hear voices, highlighting problems in diagnosis

Hans Selye

Researcher known for studying stress and its effects on the body

Hans Selye (Theory)

General Adaptation Syndrome

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Three-stage response to stress: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion

B.F. Skinner

Behaviorist known for operant conditioning and reinforcement

B.F. Skinner (Exp)

Skinner Box

Skinner Box

Chamber used to study how rewards and punishments influence behavior

Operant Conditioning

Learning through consequences such as rewards and punishments

Reinforcement

Any consequence that increases a behavior

Punishment

Any consequence that decreases a behavior

Philip Zimbardo

Social psychologist known for studying the effects of social roles

Philip Zimbardo (Exp)

Stanford Prison Experiment

Stanford Prison Experiment

College students randomly assigned as guards or prisoners quickly adopted abusive and submissive roles

Roger Sperry

Neuroscientist known for split-brain research

Roger Sperry (Exp)

Split-Brain Studies

Split-Brain Studies

Examined patients whose brain hemispheres were separated, revealing specialized functions of each hemisphere

Split-Brain

Condition resulting from severing the corpus callosum

David Wechsler

Psychologist who developed widely used intelligence tests

David Wechsler (Invention)

Wechsler Intelligence Scales

Wechsler Intelligence Scales

Standardized intelligence tests used to measure IQ in children and adults

IQ (Intelligence Quotient)

Score representing cognitive abilities compared to others of the same age

Hermann von Helmholtz

Scientist who measured nerve impulses and studied perception

Hermann von Helmholtz (Discovery)

Nerve Conduction Research

Nerve Conduction Research

Demonstrated that nerve signals travel at measurable speeds rather than instantaneously

Wilhelm Wundt

Founder of modern psychology and the first psychology laboratory

Wilhelm Wundt (Invention)

First Psychology Laboratory

First Psychology Laboratory

Opened in 1879 and marked psychology’s beginning as a scientific discipline

Introspection

Method of examining and reporting one’s conscious experiences

Phineas Gage

Railroad worker whose brain injury revealed links between the frontal lobe and personality

Phineas Gage (Case Study)

Phineas Gage Accident

Phineas Gage Accident

Damage to the frontal lobe caused major personality changes, demonstrating brain-behavior relationships

Frontal Lobe

Brain region involved in decision-making, personality, and impulse control

Paul Broca

Physician who discovered a brain area involved in speech production

Paul Broca (Discovery)

Broca’s Area

Broca’s Area

Region of the left frontal lobe responsible for speech production

Broca’s Aphasia

Difficulty producing speech despite understanding language